Hambledon FC scores Football Foundation grant

HAMBLEDON Football Club is celebrating gaining a £99,999 grant which will finally enable it to replace its crumbling clubhouse.

HAMBLEDON Football Club is celebrating gaining a £99,999 grant which will finally enable it to replace its crumbling clubhouse.

The team has been working for the past four years to gain funding to replace its current changing facilities, which the captain described as "an overgrown old shed".

With the new grant, gained from the Football Foundation charity, the club has hit its target to replace the shed – which has no running water or toilet facilities – with a £146,000 clubhouse.

Matt Kiley, club secretary and captain, said: “This is a massive step forward and we are absolutely delighted to have gained the money that we needed. This will really move the club forward.”

The club, which plays in the Guildford and Woking Alliance Premier Division, has missed out on two promotions to the Surrey Intermediate Division due to its lack of facilities.

Mr Kiley, 31, who lives in Burpham and has played for the club for 15 years, said: “It’s not exactly been great for the fans. We have no toilet facilities, meaning female fans could be left in a tricky situation, and it’s always very cold."

The club, which was formed in 1906, took the decision to buy its own land in 2006, raising £40,000 in a project spearheaded by president Mick Coleman. In 2008, a £16,000 grant from Boost allowed the club to returf the pitch.

“The next stage was to try to get an actual facility here that the team and the community could be proud of,” said Mr Kiley.

“We raised £25,000 ourselves through a number of events and smaller grants. However, it was always a big hill to climb.

“This money from the Football Foundation will completely transform the club. We will be much more welcoming to other teams and fans and will have the ability to rise up the leagues.

"This will also be a great facility for the use of the village, while younger players will also be able to increase their use of the pitch.

“Carlo Moriano, our first team manager, is also an engineer, meaning he has been the project manager for the new clubhouse and his proposals look fantastic. It will be a great experience to actually see it all there and built.”

Mr Kiley also thanked Surrey FA development officer Caroline McRoyal for her support throughout the grant application process. The team hopes to have the new clubhouse built in time for next season.

Roger Steer and Dave Ward, of Guildford-based Arena Management Consultants, assisted the club in gaining grants over the past three years.

Mr Steer said: “It’s been a long road, but it will be a great feeling when the new building is up and finished and the club can reap the benefits.”

Paul Thorogood, chief executive of the Football Foundation, said: “I commend Hambledon FC and the Surrey FA for working tirelessly to secure this funding.”

The club will be presented with its grant cheque in a ceremony attended by charity and team representatives, along with Jeremy Hunt MP.

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She has been editorial director of the online and print titles in Surrey and north-east Hampshire since 2007. Marnie previously worked at the BBC as a producer for 5 Live, having moved to national radio from BBC Sussex and Surrey.